Around October 28th I went into the It department room looking for spare parts or suggestions for a miniature project I was working on to fix a windows machine. After some talking we were discussing classes I had and I told him about my FLEX class and he thought it would be a good idea to discuss COMPTIA as a program we look into. Over the next few days me and Caleb stayed in touch about my project I was working on and He asked if I would like to do an Apprenticeship with him for flex. I thought it was a wonderful idea so I reached out to Ms.Thielenand they agreed it was a good idea and we should all get together to discuss the opportunity. We discussed a rough plan on how it would go and what we wanted to accomplish with our time. Over this time we worked on a variety of projects such as computer repair and disposals, operating system installations, bios interactions, supporting others with their troubles, navigating the IT environment. 

Hard Job Skills

Improved upon:                                  New to you:

Operating System Setups/Repairs Command Line usage and navigation

Trouble-Shooting Device Repairs & Disposals

Basic Construction (In this case TV Cart assembly) Printer Installations

Soft Job Skills 

Improved upon:                                New to you:

Communication

Teamwork

Problem-Solving
Time-Management
Active Listening
Customer Service
Decision Making
Flexibility
Interpersonal Skills
Patience
Persistence

Problem Analysis
Teaching
Decision-Making
Dependability

Innovation

Strategic Thinking

Work Ethic

Optimism
Calmness

Logical Reasoning

Professionalism

Scheduling

Active Learning

Observations about the workplace:  

What worked:
I found that the mutual enjoyment for the profession really made this whole experience work altogether. Some other helpful contributors that helped to make the apprenticeship was the trust involved as not only would I have to be a trustworthy community member in their space, all members of the IT department would have to be comfortable enough and trust me enough to allow me to have this amazing opportunity. I also found that since Caleb took time to pre-plan the lessons for the days I was in it helped contribute to effective time management and helped me learn more in the small time we had. Overall, this experience was a positive experience and I really appreciated the time and care taken from Caleb to put together this wonderful opportunity.

What improvements could you see

I found the biggest thing that needed improvement from my experience was communication between me & Caleb, Caleb & Ms.Thielen, and me & Caleb & Ms.Thielen. I noticed that often Ms.Thielen felt more disconnected from the loop and I personally felt me and Caleb could have communicated more actively when not together. However, I appreciated that Caleb and Ms.Thielen were both transparent with me on whatever that may need to be whenever we were actively communicating. Furthermore, I could see improvement on more direct learning when applicable as I was mainly thrown into a task or had to research it on my own to learn how to do the task.

Hierarchy:
In my time working as an Apprentice in the IT department I noticed a hierarchy in the work room. This hierarchy seemed to be based off of time worked at the school. I thought this was really interesting because they all contributed in different ways so I would have expected there to be more of a balance.

If you were able to continue the apprenticeship what would you want to do?

If I were to continue this current apprenticeship I would take time to ensure that I more actively communicate with Caleb and Ms.Thielen if they wanted. I would also have more time to learn a bunch more topics and would take my time to learn more. I would also possibly make sure to practice the skills I learned to ensure that I have a solid understanding of how to do each task. Finally, I would take the time to learn next steps to pursue after the apprenticeship. 

What would you do differently if you were to pursue another IT apprenticeship?

If I were to pursue another IT apprenticeship I would take the time to establish a more solid schedule and ensure that everyone has the time necessary to input the effort needed to successfully complete the apprenticeship.